Analyzing a Speech

Analyzing a Speech

A great speech is composed of several elements. It requires a momentous occasion and an author with the purpose and eloquence to match that occasion. It requires an appropriate tone – both in the writing and in the speaker’s own voice. Finally, a memorable speech requires an audience ready to receive the message. The combination of these qualities can make a speech soar, creating an emotional atmosphere unique to this form of literature.

Many great leaders have delivered inspirational speeches. Some of these speeches gave hope and direction to nations teetering on disaster; some gave voice to populations silenced by intimidation; others rallied individuals to work toward a common goal. All had one thing in common: words that could move people toward change.

How does the message fit the occasion? What calls to action are issued? In other words, what does the speaker want the audience to do? How effective is the message?

Important speeches serve a practical purpose. They are not written to be tucked away in a desk drawer or sent to a publisher at some point in the future. They are often written for an occasion – sometimes a moment of national crisis when history is at the tipping point.

What rhetorical devices does the orator use, and how effective are they?

Repetition and parallelism are frequently used rhetorical devices. Another common technique is the rhetorical question – a question that does not require an answer, generally because the answer is given or is obvious. Here are examples of three from plays of Shakespeare:

·  Repetition: “For Brutus is an honorable man; / So are they all, all honorable men” (Julius Caesar)

·  Parallelism: “. . . give my jewels for a set of beads, my gorgeous palace for a hermitage, my gay apparel for an almsman’s gown, my figured goblets for a dish of wood . . . “ (Richard II)

·  Rhetorical Question: “If you prick us, do we not bleed?” (Merchant of Venice)

What is the tone of the speech?

You can “hear” a writer’s tone in his word choice and style. In fact, one way to determine tone in writing is to read a passage aloud and evaluate the author’s tone as if he or she were talking to you. In a speech, intended to be delivered orally, this technique is even more appropriate. Skilled speakers will accentuate the tone of their writing with their literal tone of voice. Remember: You cannot analyze tone without first discussing diction.

Who was the intended audience when the speech was originally given? What are the occasions and purposes of the speech? How is the speech relevant to the lives of the listeners?

In order to determine the audience, you will first want to review the historical context of the speech.

Other questions you may want to consider:

·  How does the speech provide insight into the speaker’s convictions?

·  How effectively does the speaker use the rhetorical devices ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade and inspire listeners?

·  How are figurative language, repetition of ideas, rhetorical questions, and point of view used to persuade and inspire listeners?

You may want to consider the following famous speeches:

·  British suffragist Emmeline Pankhurst’s 1913 speech to an American audience

·  Mohandas Gandhi’s 1922 address to the British court when he was tried for inciting contempt against the British government

·  Sojourner Truth’s 1851 Ain’t I a Woman speech

·  Mohandas Gandhi’s 1942 Quit India speech

·  Nelson Mandela’s 1953 No Easy Road to Freedom speech

·  Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 I Have a Dream speech

·  Hillary Clinton’s 1995 Women’s Rights Are Human Rights speech

·  Winston Churchill’s 1946 Iron Curtain speech

·  Harry S. Truman’s 1947 Doctrine speech

·  Ronald Reagan’s 1987 Tear Down This Wall speech

·  Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 Day of Infamy speech

·  Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1944 D-Day Order of Battle speech

·  Harold Ickes’s 1941 What is an American? speech

·  Robert Kennedy’s 1966 On Courage speech

·  George W. Bush’s 2001 9/11 speech

·  Knute Rockne’s 1928 Win One for the Gipper speech

·  Vince Lombardi’s 1970 What It Takes to Be Number One speech

·  Barack Obama’s 2009 We Did It speech after being elected president